The Truest Believer
by AnEclecticKat
Summary: In which Emma suffers a fatal wound, and Rumple learns why Henry will be his undoing.


A/N: My goodness, this one was a beast to write! The idea I had kept expanding as I was writing, and I know there are some details left unexplored, but what is a good story without the possibility for expansion? ;) This is a "what if" story through and through, and pure and utter speculation as to what next season will bring. I feel like I could have gone crazy with different POV's in this story, but I tried to limit it, as it was already way longer than I had originally intended! ;) Hope you all enjoy! Review and let me know what you think!

* * *

It had been a long day.

After hours of climbing through the jungle, scouring high and low for Pan's hideout, the World's Ultimate Dysfunctional Family (as Emma had nicknamed their ridiculous group in her head), had suddenly been bombarded with smoke bombs. Before she knew what was happening, a crazed teenage boy in a loincloth and swung in on a vine and attacked her. For the past five minutes, Emma has been dodging in and out of the path of his manic swing, and using what little sword experience she had to defend herself. Now, the tables were about to turn. Seeing an opening, Emma struck out with the butt of her sword, striking the boy on the head, and causing him to collapse unconscious to the ground.

Breathing heavily, she whipped her head around to see how the others were faring, eyes scanning her surroundings for potential threats. She watched in amazement as her parents stood side-by-side, taking on a group of at least 6 Lost Boys.

They stood back-to-back, Snow unleashing arrow after arrow, while David dueled with three Lost Boys armed with swords. When the three others began encroaching further, Snow began to use the arrows as small daggers, piercing the boys in the legs and arms and causing them to fall to the ground, shrieking in pain. In an instant, one of the boys on David's side had jumped towards Snow, but in a flash of movement Emma would have to ask her parents about later, David grabbed Snow's hand and flipped her over his back, Snow not missing a beat and taking down the boy on her right side with a swift kick to the head. David disarmed the last boy to his left, and the pack of Lost Boys scurried away, picking themselves up with groans of pain and disappearing into the trees as quickly as they had come.

Panting, the Royal Couple turned to each other. Snow grinned, wrapping her arms around David's neck as he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her towards him.

"Not bad after twenty eight years." She murmured huskily, bringing his face closer to her own. Grinning cheekily and breathing heavily, David tightened his grip around her waist, closing the distance between them and capturing her lips between his own. Pulling away slightly, he looked at Snow with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"You're still slow on that draw though."

Snow opened her mouth in shock and slapped his chest playfully as he chuckled, pulling away from him in mock horror.

"Excuse me, Charming, that was not my fault! I was only slow because of your delay in signaling me!"

Snow smiled smugly as she wrapped her arms around his neck once more.

"You're getting slow in your old age."

David let out a laugh at that, pulling her roughly to him, and tightening his arms around her.

"Old age, huh?" He murmured, pulling her face towards his own.

Snow grinned, nuzzling her nose against his own and allowing her lips to graze his.

"Uh huh."

"Whoooa, ok, don't need to see that!"

Snow and Charming pulled away from each other slightly, smiling guiltily before glancing up at their daughter, who was beginning to walk down the incline towards them, a smug expression written on her face.

"I mean, honestly guys, I leave you two alone for…."

Emma halted mid sentence, the smile on her face freezing as she jolted forward with a choked grunt.

Snow screamed in horror.

A sword was protruding from Emma's middle.

* * *

With a cackle, a small boy appeared from behind Emma.

"I killed the Saaaavior, I killed the Saaaavior!"

Giggling manically, he began skipping towards the forest, quickly disappearing amongst the thick grove of trees.

"NO!" David roared, unsheathing his sword and beginning to run blindly after the boy. Snow let out a strangled cry and rushed to where Emma had fallen, dropping to her knees beside her. Emma was drawing in short breaths, and looked at her mother with unrestrained fear and pain.

"Mom?" She croaked, gasping for air.

Snow let out a sob, cupping Emma's face in her hand.

"Shh, it's ok sweetheart. Mom's here."

Emma groaned, taking a shuddering breath.

"It….hurts…"

Emma choked, coughing and crying out as the unexpected movement sent waves of radiating pain to her middle. Snow stroked Emma's face, frantically attempting to rip her shirt while whispering words of comfort to her daughter.

"It's going to be fine honey, just fine… You're gonna be fine…"

Snow finally ripped the material of her blouse, taking the wad and pressing it to Emma's wound. Blood immediately seeped through the thin cloth, soaking through and staining Snow's hands. It was too much…there was too much blood…

"DAVID!" Snow screamed, whipping her head around to search the forest in desperation. Emma coughed again, causing her body to spasm in pain, and let out a heart-wrenching cry.

"DAVID!" Snow screamed again, her voice becoming animalistic as she choked back sobs. With shaking hands she stroked her daughters hair, keeping one hand pressed to the wound in an attempt to stop the blood from continuing to pour out of her daughter's body.

"Help's coming Em, just stay with me, alright?" Snow whispered brokenly, watching as her daughter became weaker and weaker.

* * *

_No no no no no. _

_Not her baby girl. _

_Not her daughter, whose life she had completely missed._

_Not the girl with her stubborn nature and Charming's strength. _

_Not as they were about to find Henry. _

Snow took a shuddering breath, fighting the tears that were beginning to stream down her face. The situation was rapidly declining. Emma was fighting for air, eyes fluttering shut.

Panicking, Snow shook Emma hard by the shoulders, willing her to stay awake.

"You listen to me, Emma Ruth." Snow said fiercely, grabbing her daughter's face between her hands, and forcing Emma's eyes to make contact with her own.

"You do NOT get to die on me, you hear? You STAY WITH ME." Snow choked out, voice wrecked.

Emma nodded sluggishly, slurring out, "'m fine, really Mom. Don't…don't worry…"

Snow heard rustling behind her, and whipped her head around, arm already pulling out an arrow in preparation to kill anyone who attempted to get near her daughter. Letting out a sob, she saw that it was David, running through the trees with a desperate look in his eyes.

"Emma? Snow?"

On spotting his wife crouched next to his daughter, lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood, David felt his world collapse around him, a panic he had never felt before in his life beginning to pound through his veins.

"No…. No, no, no, no. EMMA!"

David rushed to their side, voice breaking as he dropped to his knees next to his daughter. Snow looked up to him with a frantic expression, removing the now soaked through bandage she had previously applied to Emma's wound and beginning to rip at her own blouse once again.

"I've been trying to staunch the blood flow, but it's not working. I don't…I don't know what to do, David." Snow whispered brokenly, swallowing hard as she watched her husband attempting to assess the situation, clenching his jaw as he saw the seriousness of Emma's wound.

With shaking hands, he ripped off his over shirt and pressed it to the wound on his daughter's middle, gritting his teeth in physical pain as she screamed in agony.

David sought his daughter's eyes with his own, desperately tilting her head to look at him as he attempted to keep his voice steady.

"Em, I know it hurts, but you're gonna be alright, you hear me? But you have to keep listening to my voice, and you HAVE to try and stay awake, alright?"

Emma looked up at David blearily and tried to nod, attempting a halfhearted smile.

"'ll try, Dad…'m sleepy…"

Snow, openly sobbing now, shakily brushed a hand through Emma's hair, whose coughing fits were becoming more and more frequent as her body shook with pain.

"David…" Snow whispered brokenly, reaching across Emma's body to grasp his arm.

David looked up at his wife, whose eyes were filled with a pain that he knew was reflected in his own, and desperately fought back the tears that were threatening his ability to handle the present situation.

"It's gonna be fine, Snow. It's gonna be FINE, alright?" David whispered fiercely, stroking her face with his free hand and trying to make her understand in that moment that their daughter _would not_ die.

He wouldn't allow it.

Wouldn't allow even the thought of it to enter her mind.

But David was a soldier. He knew she was too pale. He'd been in more battles than he could count, and he knew this was not good. He'd seen these types of wounds before, and this wasn't something people survived from. She was losing too much blood…. The sword had pierced her internal organs, and her body was already shutting down.

It wouldn't be enough. Looking down at their sad excuse for a bandage, already soaked through with his daughter's blood, he knew that it was too late.

But that couldn't be right.

Glancing up at Snow, his beautiful wife, his true love, sobbing over Emma's body, he refused to believe it. This was their daughter. This was the baby they had wanted so desperately and waited so anxiously for, only to be ripped from moments after she was born.

This wasn't fair. This was his baby girl. They had just begun to be a family…. they still needed to find Henry….

"'s ok, guys. I've had… worse…"

David was pulled from his thoughts as he and Snow looked down quickly to see their daughter smiling tiredly up at them, and struggling to sit up. David placed a gentle hand on Emma's shoulder, lowering her down again, and moved to cradle her head in his hand.

"Don't try and sit up Em, just stay still."

Emma gave a small frown, struggling against his efforts to lay her down again.

"No, no…. Have to…. Have to… Find Henry. Where's… Henry?" She managed to slur, trying to make eye contact with Snow.

Snow thought that her heart could break no further, as she knelt next to her daughter's dying body, but fate always did have a way of proving her wrong.

_How could she remind her daughter that they had yet to find Henry, as she was…._

Refusing to finish the thought, she pressed her lips together and made eye contact with David before closing her eyes, unable to face the heartbreak she saw reflected there. Choking back a sob, she opened her eyes to look at her daughter, trying not to concentrate on the fact that her breathing was becoming more and more labored by the minute.

"Emma, honey, he…. He'll be here soon, sweetheart."

Stroking her daughter's face, she gave her a watery smile, before looking up at her husband for support. Looking at her with an expression so heartbreakingly similar to when they had first held their daughter in their arms and realized that they would have to send her away, he closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and nodding down to his daughter, smiling even as tears began to stream openly down his face.

"That's right, Em. Henry's just fine. He's… he's on his way right now."

Pressing the now blood soaked shirt more firmly against his daughter's wound, David closed his eyes once more, feeling his heart shatter in his chest.

It was a lie.

They had no idea where Henry was. They had no idea where Gold, Regina, and Hook even were. After being separated by the smoke bombs set off by the Lost Boys, they had lost track of the others, only staying together because of their proximity when the bombs had gone off.

_Emma didn't remember. _

_Emma was slipping away from them. _

Emma coughed violently, turning her head away from Snow and David as blood began to seep from the corners of her mouth. Gasping in horror, Snow and David attempted to lift her head up, begging her to breath.

"MOM!"

Snow let out a strangled cry as she silently cursed whatever cruel fate this was, sobbing in relief and horror as her grandson ran towards them, horror and fear written on every crevice of his sweet face.

_Why did he have to see this? _

_Why did this have to happen just as they found Henry?_

Flanking Henry were Regina, Hook, and Gold, who upon seeing the Royal Family huddled on the ground, broke into a run.

David looked up to the heavens as if searching for answers that he could not find, and turned to face his grandson as he ran towards them, tears already beginning to stream down his face. Dropping to his knees beside David, he grabbed Emma's hand.

"Mom, NO! No no no! You… you have to be ok! I just found you again, please!" Henry sobbed, pressing his face to his mother's chest.

Emma struggled to move her head, opening her eyes wider at seeing Henry draped across her chest.

"H…Henry?"

Emma raised a shaking hand to run her fingers through his brown hair, smiling at him even as a sob ripped its way through her chest.

"Oh, kid….I knew… knew we'd… find…"

Emma coughed violently, sending another wave of pain through her body, and causing more blood to fill her mouth. Turning her head, she spit onto the ground, struggling to breathe. Henry wailed louder, as Snow and David desperately attempted to alleviate their daughter's pain, propping her up and trying to clear her airways.

Snow was now in hysterics, breathing erratically and sobbing while trying to still speak words of comfort to her daughter, as David attempted to attend to both his wife and daughter, ripping off strips of his shirt and pressing them to Emma's wound, while raising a blood stained hand to try and reassure his wife, stroking her arm with a trembling hand.

Hook and Regina finally reached them, panting and coming to a screeching halt as they saw the state of the Savior.

"Bloody hell…" Hook whispered, looking at the sobbing family gathered around Emma's convulsing body.

Regina stood stock still in shock, seemingly unable to grasp the scene unfolding around her.

"What… happened?"

Snow looked up at Regina with a brokenness that Regina had never seen before, a sadness in her expression that momentarily stunned the former Queen.

"Emma was stabbed…. Please. Please Regina, help us." Snow managed to choke out, pleading with her former enemy. Regina moved to open her mouth, but found that no sound came forth, completely floored by the utter desperation in her stepdaughter's tone.

"Please, can you help her?" Snow whispered again brokenly, refusing to break eye contact with the Queen.

Regina faltered under Snow's penetrating, red-eyed gaze, feeling a pit open up in her stomach. She knew this kind of loss. She knew what Snow was feeling—the pain she was enduring. And for once, instead of wishing she were the cause of it, she wished nothing more than to take it away.

"I… There's… There's nothing I can do. Magic is different here… I couldn't help even if I wanted to." Regina said softly, gazing sadly at her stepdaughter, and then at her son, who now looked up at her with a frenzied expression.

"Please, Mom, PLEASE, you have to help her! You have to…" Henry sobbed, begging his adopted mother. David wrapped a strong arm around his grandson, who collapsed into him, wailing against his shoulder even as the Prince's own shoulders shook with sobs.

Henry glanced up to see Mr. Gold watching sadly from nearby, standing behind Regina as he took in the all too familiar scene. Clambering out from under the arm of his grandfather, Henry stumbled over to the aging sorcerer, running full on into his chest.

"Mr. Gold, please save her! Please… Please.." Henry sobbed, wrapping his arms tightly around the imp, who stood stiffly, taken off guard at the unexpected embrace, and uneasily glanced at the pairs of eyes who had all turned to him.

"I'm afraid I cannot Henry. Magic doesn't work that way here. As an adult, I cannot access magic in Neverland."

Mr. Gold's voice lacked its usual arrogance as he looked sadly down at his grandson.

"I wish I could, Henry, but I can't."

Henry let out a sob and hugged Mr. Gold tighter, burying his face in the older man's chest. Closing his eyes, Mr. Gold breathed in deeply, overwhelmingly saddened by the sight of his grandson in such anguish, and wrapped his arms around the boy, holding him tightly. Suddenly, Henry pulled away from Mr. Gold, looking up with him with puffy eyes filled anew with hope.

"What if I did it?"

Mr. Gold, taken aback, looked at Henry curiously, tilting his head to the side.

"Whatever do you mean, son?"

Henry wiped a sleeve across his eyes, sniffing impatiently as he opened his eyes in excitement.

"I could do it! I'm the son of the Savior! I have to have some magical capability or something, right?"

Henry looked up at Mr. Gold with puffy and hopeful eyes, bouncing up and down expectantly. Mr. Gold sighed wearily.

"Well, I suppose that could be true but…"

Henry interrupted, not allowing Mr. Gold to finish.

"So what if you could somehow give me your power? Make it so that I could wield your magic to save Emma, and then I could give it back?"

Henry's voice rose excitedly, staring eagerly at Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold looked into the boys' eyes and felt his heart give a painful jolt at the utter hope he saw there. Shaking his head sadly, he looked away from Henry, choosing to stare at a nearby tree rather than see the hopeful light in Henry's eyes be extinguished by his next words.

"I'm afraid magic doesn't work that way, Henry. It wouldn't be possible for me to somehow give you my power and for you to return it to me."

Looking down at Henry, Mr. Gold saw that the boy was still staring at him intently while intermittently sniffing, waiting as if expecting him to continue. Mr. Gold closed his eyes tightly for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"Henry, even if I could somehow give you my power, there is no guarantee you would survive it. You're still young, and this much power could destroy you." Mr. Gold finished sadly, gazing down at the young boy who so reminded him of his son. Henry sniffled again loudly, eyes widening as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.

"No, Mr. Gold, I could handle it! I could do it, I promise! The reason Peter Pan kidnapped me was because I was the son of the Savior, and it gave me this weird heart thing. Please, Mr. Gold, please?" Henry pleaded, eyes glistening once again with unshed tears.

Mr. Gold opened his mouth to refute the boy once again, but stopped, pondering what the boy had said. There was something to him having magical capabilities due to his heritage….Could it be true? Could there be something special about this young boy's heart? To both Mr. Gold and Henry's surprise, a voice sounded from behind them.

"The lad's right."

Hook began walking towards them from where he had been leaning on a nearby tree, looking at them curiously.

"I remember Pan speaking of a search for the heart of the truest believer. I always thought it was bloody nonsense but…" Hook paused, gazing at Henry intently.

"But maybe I was wrong." Hook walked closer to the pair, resting his hands on Henry's shoulders.

"If anyone could do it, it would be_ her_ son—the believer." Hook glanced in the direction of Emma, who could still be seen coughing where she lay, before turning and smiling at Henry.

Henry grinned up at the pirate, turning to look at Mr. Gold once more.

"See? It could work! I could save her!"

Gold opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Regina, who had come up behind Hook while they spoke.

"I can't allow you to do that Henry." Regina spoke softly but firmly, glaring at Hook before placing her hand on his shoulder.

Henry backed away from her in anger and confusion, shaking off the hand on his shoulder.

"Why not? I could save her, Mom!"

Regina sighed, raising a hand to her brow and closing her eyes.

"I know you think you could Henry, but we don't know that for sure. It could _destroy _you."

Regina knelt to Henry's level, bringing his eyes up to her own, and whispered fiercely.

"And I can't allow that, Henry. I _can't _lose you."

Henry grabbed his mom's arms where they rested on his shoulders and softened his voice, looking straight into the Queen's eyes.

"And I can't lose _her_, Mom. Let me do this, PLEASE." Henry pleaded, searching his mom's face for approval. Regina's heart broke anew at the agony in her son's expression, but shook her head nonetheless.

"Henry, I…" Regina began, her own voice tight as she sought the words needed.

"No, Henry…"

Regina looked up, startled, as a low moan came from Emma, who was struggling to get up despite her parents' protests.

Emma made eye contact with her son frantically, groaning in pain as she struggled to move.

"Henry, I can't…can't let you do that kid. Too dangerous..." Emma broke off as she was wracked with a coughing fit once again. Henry stepped forward eagerly, shaking his head.

"No, Mom, you don't understand, I can…"

Emma interrupted Henry, silently thanking a higher power that her voice remained firm.

"NO, Henry. I'm sorry kid…I can't let you risk your safety. I can't risk losing you." Emma's voice broke as she finished, feeling physical pain beyond her wound at witnessing the heartbreak on her son's face.

"I love you, Henry, but I can't let you…" Emma whispered, breaking off as her body was wracked with a spasm of pain. Snow and David frantically attempted to tend to her, Snow stroking her hair and whispering words of comfort as David supported her head, trying to make her as comfortable as possible. Spitting more blood on the ground, Emma turned her head to look at her parents, throat tightening as she saw the intense emotion written on their faces. Even as her body was hit with more pain than she thought humanly possible, the wave of emotion that washed over her at that moment was more painful than anything she had felt in her life. Looking up into her parent's devastated expressions, she saw more love there than she had felt in all of her life. After an entire lifetime of searching for them, she had finally found them. They loved her. They wanted her. And now, just as they were finally able to be a family, she was _freaking dying_.

She would've snorted at the irony if everything in her life didn't suck right now.

Trying to make eye contact with Snow and David, she grasped both of their hands in her own, gasping past the sudden lack of oxygen.

"I forgive you." Emma whispered, trying to convey the truth behind her words as she gazed at the parents she had been angry with, and had desperately wanted her entire life. Snow let out a sob and smiled, stroking Emma's hand with her own, as David tightened his grip on Emma and closed his eyes tightly, silently fighting the tears that were already streaming down his face.

"I'm sorry… it's taken me so long."

Emma smiled half heartedly, as a single tear stole its way down her cheek.

"I love you." Emma choked out, squeezing both of their hands in her turn.

"And we love you, sweetheart." Snow whispered, stroking Emma's face with her hand.

"So much." David choked out fiercely, squeezing Emma's hand even tighter as he wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder.

Emma smiled weakly and coughed once more, wincing at the pain that shot through her body.

"Take… take care of Henry. Don't…."

Emma stopped abruptly, choking on the blood that had filled her mouth. Spitting on the ground, she looked back up to her parents frantically, needing them to hear what she had to say.

"Don't let him…. grow up…. the way I did."

Snow let out a strangled sob before closing her eyes in agony, unable to look at the desperation in her daughter's eyes. With a new fire in his eyes, David grasped his daughter by the shoulders, forcing her to look up at him.

"Don't you dare, Emma." David rasped fiercely, shaking her slightly. Emma looked up at him in confusion, taking in short, and shallow breaths.

"Don't you DARE start saying good-bye." David choked on his last words, swallowing hard before continuing.

"You're gonna be fine, you hear me? We're gonna get through this. You do NOT give up!" David said passionately, angrily swiping at the tears that continued to stream down his face. Henry, who had been standing in his adoptive mother's arms, broke free, running to Emma's side once more and dropping to his knees beside her.

"Please Mom, don't leave me! Please.." Henry sobbed, pressing his face to her chest. Emma tried to raise a hand to Henry's head, but found that she couldn't. Suddenly, she found she couldn't take a breath at all.

This was it.

She was dying.

Gasping for air that wasn't there anymore, she glanced once more around her, looking at her family and trying to take them all in one last time. After a lifetime of being alone, here she was, dying, and surrounded by people who loved her.

Her beautiful, kind, and brave mother.

Her strong and loving father.

Her sweet and precious son.

They would never know just how much she loved them.

A sudden peace fell over Emma, and she found that she didn't feel the need to fight for breath anymore. Closing her eyes, she gave in to the urge she had been fighting, and let go.

With a final shudder, Emma Swan was gone.

* * *

"NO!" Henry screamed, shaking Emma by the shoulders.

"NO NO NO NO! COME BACK, MOM, COME BACK!" Henry cried, sinking back down to his mother's chest. Letting out a prolonged wail, Snow took Emma's hand in her own and held it tightly to her chest, closing her eyes tightly and sobbing, while David finally allowed the sobs that had been threatening to overtake his body have reign over him, his whole body shaking as he knelt down next to his daughter, weeping and bowing his head over their clasped hands.

Henry glanced up at the three standing behind the Royal Family. Hook leaned against a tree with his head bowed, while Regina stood nearby with a look of shock and disbelief written on her face, seemingly unable to grasp what had just transpired. Gold stood, hunched over his cane with a resigned sadness written on his face, gazing at Henry. Henry looked intently back at Gold, sobbing heavily.

"Please, Mr. Gold… Please…" Henry cried softly, pleading with his grandfather.

"Please save her…" Henry choked out, bringing his head down to lie on his mother's chest once more, crying softly. Henry felt David wrap his arm around him, bringing Henry close to his chest. Henry buried himself further into his grandfather's embrace, and felt his grandma join in, as her arms wrapped around him, and his grandfather shifted his arms to hold her as well.

After a moment, Henry broke free of his grandparents' embrace, turning once more to Emma, and bowing low over her head.

"I love you, Mom." Henry whispered, bringing his lips to her forehead and kissing her softly.

As his lips touched her skin, a sudden warmth filled his being, and he felt his heart begin to beat faster. An electric shock emanated from his fingertips down to his toes, and Henry opened his eyes in shock.

There, looking up at him, smiling and very much alive, was Emma.

"Love you too, kid."

With a gleeful laugh, Henry launched himself into her arms, as she in turn sat up, and held him close, laughing through her tears. Henry heard a joyful cry from behind him, and felt Snow and David's arms wrap tight around them both, all of them becoming a tangled mess of arms, legs, laughter, and tears. Snow pulled back only far enough to cradle Emma's face in her hands in wonder, laughing through her tears, before holding her tight once more, David pressing a kiss to the crown of Emma's head and laughing deep in his throat, a single tear of relief streaking down his face.

After what felt like an eternity of a family hug that was long overdue, Emma finally pulled away, wiping at the stray tears that had made their way down her face.

"Not that I'm not happy to be back and all but… how AM I alive right now?"

Snow and David laughed softly and glanced at each other in similar confusion, shaking their heads, before looking over to Henry, who glanced at them with a shrug, smiling slightly.

"It was true love's kiss! I kissed Emma, and she woke up!" Henry exclaimed, beaming at the three adults.

Snow exchanged a glance with David, before turning to Henry and beginning to speak, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Henry… as powerful as true love's kiss is… it isn't powerful enough to revive someone when they're far enough gone…" Snow trailed off, glancing at David from the corner of her eye and thinking of another time, when she had cradled a different loved one to her chest, attempting in vain to wake him.

"Trust me, honey, I tried." She finished softly, gazing at Henry sadly.

Henry looked at her in confusion, while David turned to her in similar uncertainty.

"Well then, how DID Emma come back to us?" David pondered softly, looking at his daughter in wonder.

"Gold?!"

The Royal Family turned at Regina's exclamation to find her stumbling backward, holding onto a limp Rumplestiltskin. In shock, Regina laid him down with the help of Hook, settling him on the grass and inspecting his still figure.

"What happened now?" Regina asked aloud, looking up at Hook and then over to the Charmings, who had stood and begun to make their way over, Henry running in the lead, while Snow and David supported Emma on either side, helping her walk.

Running up to them, Henry gasped.

"Is he..?"

"No, no he's not dead. He just… collapsed." Regina reassured him, looking in confusion down at Rumplestiltskin's still form.

"I don't understand…" Regina trailed off, realization suddenly dawning on her.

"He did it…" Regina whispered, looking at Henry in wonder.

David and Snow approached with Emma, looking down in concern at Rumple.

"Did what?" Snow asked, looking at Regina in curiosity.

Henry looked down at his hands, flexing them in wonder.

"He gave me his magic!" Henry said in amazement, voice rising in awe. In excitement, he looked up at Emma.

"To save you!"

Emma looked at her son in confusion, before making eye contact with Regina.

"But… how is that possible?"

"Magic, dearie."

Six pairs of eyes darted down to look at the now awake Rumplestiltskin, who was eyeing them all with a weary but mischievous smirk.

"Mr. Gold! You're ok!" Henry exclaimed, throwing his arms around the imp in a tight hug. Chuckling, Mr. Gold hugged the boy back, pulling away slightly.

"Indeed I am, my boy. And how, may I ask, are you feeling?"

Henry grinned excitedly, looking down at his hands before meeting Mr. Gold's eyes once again.

"I feel great!"

Emma, looking down at Henry in concern and feeling as if she would burst from unanswered questions, finally spoke up.

"So… what just happened exactly? How am I alive right now? Why did you collapse? And Henry has magic now?"

Emma's eyebrows creased in confusion as she placed a hand on Henry's shoulder, looking at Gold inquiringly. Mr. Gold chuckled.

"All that out of your system now, Ms. Swan?"

Emma scowled at him, placing her hands on her hips. Smirking, Mr. Gold continued.

"I gave him my magic, dearie, simple as that. Magic is triggered in moments of extreme emotion, so when Henry kissed you, the magic that was transferred to him was put into action, and was able to pull you back before you were truly dead."

Rumplestiltskin finished with a flourish, raising his hand in the air as if for emphasis.

Regina narrowed her eyes doubtfully.

"Why would you give him your magic? Never mind that it's nearly impossible, why give it to him in the first place? You've never been a selfless man, Gold."

Smiling softly, Gold placed a gentle hand on Henry's shoulder. Turning to face the rest of the group, he began to speak.

"I realized that Pan was right."

Squeezing his shoulder, the imp's gaze came to rest once again on Henry.

"You have the heart of the truest believer, my boy."

Bringing a finger gently up to Henry's chest, he poked at the space where his heart would be.

"And it saved your family."


End file.
